2. Moral police: Big Brother is watching
Even as a United States report lauded increased religious freedom in India, this year saw the rise of self-appointed custodians of morality.
In Maharashtra, state Home Minister R R Patil declared war on that uniquely Mumbai nightlife phenomenon, the dance bar. While writer Suketu Mehta declared Mumbai dance bar girls wore more clothes than the average New York secretary, Patil declared the voyeur's watering holes dens of vice and forced them to shut down.
In Chennai, a newspaper photograph of couples kissing on a dance floor irked the police, who declared a crackdown on 'immorality'. In 'intellectual' West Bengal, a dress code was imposed -- and later withdrawn -- for teachers. The Indian government too got into the act, declaring on screen smoking a no-no. Then, there was that recent episode involving South Indian actress Khushboo, thanks to her comments about pre-marital sex.
No immorality please, this is the land of the Kamasutra.
